I work in a building that is a couple blocks away from what used to be the world’s largest outdoor shopping mall. I’m not sure what mall is biggest now, but knowing that this one once was has been is a source of pride to me because this is the first mall I’ve ever been to.
 Usually during my lunch break, Dale and I go to the park.  This park takes up a full city block, has several large and rare trees, is within 6 blocks of our work locations, and is almost always completely empty. It definitely gives me the grounding I need-literally-after eating. In fact, I usually end up taking a short nap in this spot before returning to work.
However,when the weather is inclement, the agreement is ‘to meet at the mall.’ This ‘mall’ is Ala Moana Center. It has a vast international food court that could probably only be found in Hawaii. It is NOT your run of the mill McDonalds, Sbarro, Subway kind of place. The food itself is a representation of the vast number of cultures who call this rock of a volcano home.Â
After eating, we usually end up walking through the mall in the direction based on who needs to return to work first. Things have changed over the decades since I first started visiting years ago, and they have changed drastically. Liberty House, a Hawaii-only (I think) upper end department store has been bought out by Macy’s, an entire new level to the mall has been added, and nearly every ultra-high end store has found a spot within this place that it calls home. Fendi, Ferragamo, Chanel, Burberry, Gucci, Dolci, and Prada all beckon with their sterile, austere looking shops and their aloof yet fashionable staff, all of whom must have gone through a sort of “how to completely ignore the customer and make them feel unwelcome UNTIL you have discerned WITHOUT A DOUBT that the person has the minimum amoung of money required to be worthy of your attention” training course. Apparantely, I have not passed into that level.Â
The mall isn’t all like that. There are booths where you can bargain for pearls, Sears is still an anchor store, and probably the largest Old Navy I’ve ever seen also reside here, so there is something for everyone and every size pocket book.
In some cases, quite near the ‘real’ store, you’ll find a knock-off shop in the middle of the mall selling the $500 pair of Chanel sunglasses for $10. I find no real discernable difference between them. Given that, what is it that makes the person pay 50 times more for the ‘real deal?’ Is it just that-the simple satisfaction of knowing that what they own is a ‘real’ pair of Chanel sunglasses? Can you feel the $490 more you paid for them?Â
I have never been able to afford any of these designer luxuries. I don’t understand it. Then again, I’m poor. However, even if I had a large disposable income, would I be so inclined? Do people shop at these places because they can? Because they believe it’s expected of them? Because of low self esteem? I don’t have a clue. I can think of so many more things which I would rather spend a thousand dollars on than a pair of shoes.
I think Sex and the City might have done some damage, if you’re the kind of person who believes everything you see on television. The rise of our celebrity culture is probably the biggest contributor.
But if you look at it that way, it’s not just sad, it’s stupidity as well. People going into untold amounts of debt so they can don the appearance of some talentless hack who is famous for no other reason than their birth circumstances paint a frightening portrait of where our society is going. We may be ignoring our childrens’ future, forgetting that much of the world doesn’t have enough to EAT in a day, and hightailing it into bankruptcy, but damn, don’t we look good doing it…